Harimedia Forum

Dear Hari,
I would like to know if there exists indeed such a thing as a process or path of becoming aware of ones spiritual nature, purify or elevate oneself up to a certain spiritual existence in order to reach a certain "spiritual goal and location" one may aspire for, following thus certain rules and regulations prescribed by others in the past, even up to the point of how to dress in the execution of ones "spiritual duties" which are supposedly meant to elevate oneself up to a "transcendental plane", whatever that may be, since it could be only really experienced in truth when one is ones "situated" there? Does or should such a "backwards directed thinking," where one is only taking reference of what others did in this connection in the past, as described in some books of the past, has or should have any relevance for us living in the societies of people in the world of today, which may be in some way different from that of the past?

Dear Harsiji

I have been writing my reply to this post for over two days now. I cannot finish my reply because your question is written in a very confusing manner. Sometimes I read the implications of it in one way and sometimes in another way.

It is taking me too long to figure out what you really want answered. I cannot imagine you are simply asking me to say if traditional disciplines 'still' work or not (what does 'work' mean anyway?) and I am sure there is something else involved. Please clarify this in shorter sentences that are clear and reflect what you are interested to hear about. Thanks.

Dear Hari

I have the impression or the feeling that if one just lives ones life in the society of people, without worrying so much if what I am doing or not is in line with the spiritual process or description of how it should be put forward by someone else, so that the spiritual outcome of it may be assured, everything would manifest somehow in a more natural way, according to the 'inherent nature' of things and the soul. Am I in 'maya' or on the mental plane to think like that? Or do I always have to be patronized or tutored and domineered over by someone else's conception of how things should be in this regard? I find not! I better would like to know and explore myself. It is interesting how Krishna instructed Arjuna and then told him to think about it and do as he like. I find what you described in your last lecture regarding how one may idealize things or may have idealized them in the past, was a meaningful view on this topic.

I was thinking today at work a lot about your inquire what I actually wanted to ask and found it quite interesting that you did not as one would expect perhaps just wrote that there is a process or path to become aware of ones spiritual existence and that of the Supreme. As some would present it as A process or 'the' process of becoming enlightend in this direction. There is a saying "Many roads lead to Rome" it all depends where you are situated geographically. If this is true on the geographical plane should it not be true somehow also on the spiritual one? I am convinced of course that there is a way of doing things better or not so good and for that to take someones advice is a good and favorable practice but to present this advice as a guiding principle upon which the right outcome of ones spiritual endeavor should depend, can be sometimes counterproductive to ones own situation and to the outcome of ones spiritual endeavor itself.

Regarding the "inherent nature" of the soul, I guess some persons following the traditional way of explaining things would have a problem with, and would say perhaps that its nature right now is that one is in ilusion whatever that may mean, and one would 'have' to follow this or that in order to come out of this ilusion and situate oneself on 'the' right path, as explaind or lived by example by someone else. And than if one would ask what makes this or that person so special that one would or should follow him so unconditionally, traditionalists or adherents of the traditional way, would put forward and present to you all kinds of spiritual refferences as a way of convincing one that what this person is saying or doing or said and did ones in the past is a, or 'the' right way to follow in this direction. But what about me should I not have also the ability to decide by myself what is good for me or not in this direction? I am sometimes surprised how seemingly inteligent persons like the one I linked in my question to you, are presenting spiritual topics in a way so different from how you are explaining and presenting them, which by the way is also more in line with my own convictions about life and spirituality, although I must admit that it was not always like that.

I have answered this question elaborately in my lecture "Outside-in, Inside-out" on December 15, 2007.